Security News > 2003 > February > Richard Clarke: American Grandstand
Forwarded from: security curmudgeon [Most recent security rant. Not including the entire article here because you need to see the snazzy cartoon that accompanies the rant!] http://www.attrition.org/security/rant/z/clarke.html Richard Clarke: American Grandstand Thu Feb 6 05:46:48 EST 2003 by Jericho (security curmudgeon) Richard A. Clarke, Special Advisor to the President for Cyberspace Security (lovingly known as the Cyber Security Czar), recently announced plans to retire after little over a year from his appointment by George W. Bush. Under President Bill Clinton, Clarke was appointed the first National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter- terrorism in May 1998. Later, Clarke was appointed Special Advisor to the President for Cyberspace Security in October 2001 by President George Bush. Having someone appointed to the position of Cyber Security Czar originally promised great advancement for the cause of internet security. Unlike most political appointments, Clarke appeared to have a genuine interest in learning more about security and its players, despite his lack of IT or security background. He made himself available and spoke at conventions such as Black Hat Briefings and Defcon 10. These acts were taken as a sign that he was willing to get his hands dirty, study all sides of the issue, and make informed decisions about the national security infrastructure. These hopes were quickly dashed, and Clarke reverted to typical czar behavior, leading the industry to ask, "Is Clarke the Right Man For the Job?" [snip...] - ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org To unsubscribe email majordomo () attrition org with 'unsubscribe isn' in the BODY of the mail.